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by bsloths
Summary: Casey has a tough decision to make after her week at the Great Blue Heron Lodge. Spoilers for Vacation with Derek. Multichapter. Dasey.
1. George

(If you haven't seen _Vacation with Derek_ yet, go to YouTube, and it's on Disfordasey's channel.)

_VwD_ was fantastic, and I loved it. But I really wish they hadn't rushed into the "Casey gets a job as a professional dancer" storyline. To me, dancing is Casey's favorite hobby, and it's just that – a hobby. It's never been her dream like it was for Jesse. And it may be selfish of me, but I want Derek and Casey together at Queen's – I don't want my Dasey apart! And in this story, neither does Derek.

Many thanks to Jess, my favorite RGEMEE/Segelaholic, for her input. LLtPM!

-Brandi

Disclaimer: I don't own _Vacation with Derek_. But I extend my heartiest thank you to Daphne Ballon for filling it with Dasey moments!

**Chapter 1: George **

"Don't go."

Casey turned over in her bunk and covered her head with a pillow.

"Don't go."

She turned over again, flinging her arm across her face.

"Don't go."

It was no use. She could still hear the words from earlier this evening bouncing around in her head.

Being careful not to wake Edwin, Casey climbed out of her bunk and tiptoed past the others. They were all leaving in the morning, and she had promised herself she would make a decision by then.

There was a full moon. Casey was thankful she wouldn't need a flashlight. She didn't want to wake anyone; didn't want anyone to know what was causing her such anguish. She crept across the path to the main lodge, where her parents were sleeping on couches right inside. She wanted to wake her mother, but thought better of it. She had been exhausted from being on her feet all day, and dancing all night. Casey knew both she and the baby needed rest. So George was her only option.

"George," she whispered, shaking his shoulder. He groaned and nudged her away. So she spoke more loudly, "George!"

"Huh?" He slowly opened his eyes and squinted at Casey in the moonlight. "Go back to sleep, you have a long drive tomorrow," he mumbled, but Casey shook him again before he could drift off.

"Please, I need your help," Casey hissed, and this time George opened both eyes and peered anxiously at her.

"Is everything all right?"

"Well…" Casey saw him getting worried and changed her tone. "Yes, everything's fine. I just need to talk to you."

George gazed over at Nora, who was sound asleep. He seemed to decide the same thing about her that Casey had a few moments earlier. "If you're sure _I_ can help you, fine, let's go." He led her out of the lodge, and they sat on the steps. In the moonlight Casey could just make out his curious expression.

"I need to decide about…the opportunity." She wasn't sure what to call it, and that was the word Gran had used.

"Oh," George sighed. "Casey, I can't tell you what to do. You're going to have to figure that one out yourself."

She had been afraid of this. Didn't he know by now that she needed help, preferably her mother's, with all major life decisions? "Let me put it this way. If George in the Jungle had been offered a recording contract, would you have taken it instead of going to law school?"

George put his head in his hands. "Do we really have to do this now? It's the middle of the night!"

Casey pouted. "I know you're not usually the one I go to about this stuff, but I really need your opinion, because Derek was no help."

George's head snapped up. "Derek?"

Casey blushed, and she wasn't sure why. Okay, she knew why. At least the dark hid it from George. "Yeah, um…hard as it is to believe, I always get good advice from Derek. But tonight—"

"Whoa, whoa. Back up. You go to _Derek_ for advice? He gives you _good_ advice?"

Casey frowned. "Can we please get past this? Derek was the one who helped me decide to break up with Max. Derek was the one who helped me decide to go to Queen's. He's not a monster, I know that. I can admit that he's a great guy to talk to. Okay?"

George shook his head skeptically and Casey couldn't believe he was making such a big deal out of such a…not-big deal. Derek had said maybe ten words total in the last few years that had helped her, anyway. "Change back." "You're staying home because you're scared." But now, "Don't go." And those two words had changed everything.

"Sorry Case. I guess it just came as a surprise that you and Derek have…bonded…over, uh, important issues."

Casey rolled her eyes, trying to keep her voice light. "Improbable but true. Anyway, Derek or my mom usually has the answers to these kinds of things, and they're not available right now. I need to know, should I take the job, or go to university? Come on, George!"

He wrinkled his nose. "What did Derek say you should do?"

"Can we stop talking about Derek, please!" She glared at him, and he held up both hands in a gesture of surrender.

"Whatever you decide, you need to be happy. Do it for you, not for anyone else." George watched her carefully as Casey stood, indignant.

"You think I would ever do _anything_ for Derek Venturi? You're out of your mind if you think I would listen to _him_!"

George tugged on her arm and she settled down next to him again, feeling silly about her outburst. He replied patiently, "Did you not just tell me that you _have_ listened to him before? You can't have it both ways. You can't dislike him and like him at the same time."

Casey sighed. Actually, she could. "I know, George. I'm sorry. Can we try this again?"

George nodded. "Good idea. Okay, if I had gotten a recording contract…honestly, Case, I would have taken it and never looked back."

"Really?" Casey's eyes widened. George was telling her to go. "Don't go" echoed inside her head. _Der-ek!_

"Yes. But. Then what? So my band maybe makes an album. Maybe has a hit. Maybe goes on tour. Maybe becomes a sensation and I never have to do anything other than be a rock star. That's a lot of maybes."

Casey stared out at the lake, processing what he'd said. "Is it worth the gamble, though?"

George put a hand on her shoulder. "You might lose a lot. But you could gain a lot, too."

"_Don't go."_ Casey leaned into him. "I could lose my scholarship. And there aren't that many older dancers. I would have to have a back-up plan for when I retire."

"There's my Casey," George said warmly, putting an arm around her. "See? You didn't need _me_ to weigh the pros and cons. Keep going."

"I would make enough money to save for later. I'd meet lots of interesting people. Get to be in New York near my dad. Do what I love for a living."

"I have to ask this, because I'm a dad," George said as he squeezed her shoulder, "But this doesn't have anything to do with Jesse, does it? Is he pressuring you to go with him?"

Casey shook her head against his shoulder. "No. He would be happy if I said yes, of course, but I don't see a future with him. He's fun and he's nice, but he didn't even fight for me when Derek pulled me away at the dance, even though I had just kissed him. That's how I knew it wasn't for real."

George shifted, obviously uncomfortable.

"Oh, sorry, too much information, right?"

George swallowed. "Yes, but I was…oh, never mind."

Casey pulled away and looked at him. "George…" she said in a warning tone. "Tell me."

"I was going to comment on the fact that Derek was dancing with you, and not Jesse. I thought that was a little strange. Derek pulled you away from him?"

Casey chuckled, not even annoyed about it anymore. She could talk about _this_ – it was typical Derek behavior. "Yeah, literally mid-kiss. Derek will never change. I thought he was being his obnoxious self, but I found out he really doesn't like Jesse all that much, for whatever reason." She shook her head good-naturedly. She was used to Derek not liking her boyfriends. She expected it by now. She didn't spend too much time analyzing why, whether it was because he was playing protective big brother, or because he was out to ruin her life. She didn't like either reason, so she didn't dwell on it.

George was staring out at the lake, lost in thought. He said slowly, "Casey, please tell me what Derek said. Did he tell you to take the job?"

"_Don't go."_ Casey really didn't want to relive her previous conversation, but it seemed like George was not going to let it be. So she took a deep breath, and began, "No, he didn't tell me to take the job. Here's what happened."


	2. Derek

They never make it clear whether Bernard Blue's show is a Broadway show, or a dance recital of sorts. I'm assuming it's just dance, because why cast a lead based on dancing talent alone when he hasn't heard her sing or act? (Just one of the things that doesn't make sense about that ending!) But anyway, for the purposes of simplification, it's a Broadway show.

Enjoy!

**Chapter 2: Derek**

_Earlier that evening…_

After a few more songs, Casey and Derek finally stopped dancing to catch their breath. "Want to take a walk?" Casey asked him.

She planned to tell him about her job offer. Only her mother, George, and Gran knew so far, and she wanted Derek to be the next to know, since it affected him, too.

They headed outside, but before she could say anything, Derek grabbed her arm and pointed towards the dock. "Look!" Casey followed his gaze and saw Lizzie and Oscar kissing, their legs dangling over the water.

"Aw!" she gushed a little too loudly, and Derek clamped a hand over her mouth.

"Let's not interrupt them. Lizzie worked hard. She deserves this." Derek removed his hand when Casey nodded her agreement.

They walked around behind the lodge and sat side-by-side on a wooden bench. Strains of music wafted outside, and Casey smiled, remembering some of Derek's more creative dance moves. "I have something to tell you," she said, looking at him seriously.

Derek's eyes widened and he turned towards her. "What?" Strangely, his voice came out as more of croak. She wondered what he could possibly be nervous about…what did he think she was going to say?

"Looks like you'll be getting rid of your keener stepsis after all. We won't have to go to university together!" She clasped her hands together and beamed at him, expecting a dumb retort about her intelligence. But none came. Instead, he refused to meet her eyes and ignored her perfect banter-ready opening line.

"What are you talking about?" he squeaked.

"Jeez, Der, don't fall to pieces. I thought you'd be happy!" His expression darkened, and she realized he was in no mood for a playful argument tonight.

"If you're not going to Queen's, where are you going? Eloping with Jesse?" He spat out the name, sneering.

"Der-ek!" Casey huffed. "I got offered a part in a Broadway show. Mrs. Blue's son is a famous choreographer, remember? He offered me a job – dancing!" The excitement of the opportunity bubbled up inside her and she couldn't help smiling again. She looked for any sign that he was happy for her, but what he did next rendered her speechless.

"Don't go." Derek's eyes bugged as he said it, obviously wishing he could take the words back. He hadn't meant to say them, that much was clear. But he was awfully uncomfortable for someone who professed not to care what Casey did.

"Why?" she hissed. "Because you want to keep making my life miserable? Well guess what. I'm done with you. This is the opportunity of a lifetime and I'd be crazy not to take it! You can go live your frat boy university life in Kingston, and never have to see me again." She wasn't sure why she was getting so angry.

"Don't go." This time, the words were firm, tinged with sadness, and came with an achingly honest Derek staring into her eyes, willing her to listen. "Don't go." They were the words she couldn't get out of her head.

"Why?" she asked again, this time quietly, almost in a whisper. Her eyes locked on his and the intensity was making her mind fuzzy.

He leaned in close and said solemnly, "You can't leave me alone, Case. I'll drown without you there, telling me to do my homework and keeping me on track. I need you, Casey. I _need_ you. Don't go."

Casey backed away, holding up a hand. He had made her all flustered. She composed herself as he continued to watch her intently. "I'll text you every night and tell you to do your homework. You put in the work to get into Queen's, Derek. You'll be fine."

Derek had a panicked look in his eyes, but it faded as he grabbed her forearm. "_You_ deserve Queen's. _That's _a once in a lifetime opportunity."

She let him keep his hand on her arm, but leaned away from him. She had never seen him like this, and it was scaring her. "I'll defer for a year."

Derek slid his hand down until he was clasping her wrist. "It wouldn't be a year. You'd get another job offer, and you'd keep putting it off until it's too late to go back."

She stared at his hand, gripping her arm so tightly that she knew he was dead serious. He meant what he said. He didn't want her to go. "Maybe not. It's not like I'm this amazing dancer. This one job may be it, and no one else will want m—"

"Everyone wants you. You're a fantastic dancer. You'd have agents breaking down your door after the first show."

Casey was angry again. "Oh, so that's it. You think I'm going to succeed, so you want to ruin my chances! Thanks a lot for the support, Der!" She ripped his hand away and stood up to leave.

He caught her around the waist and she shrieked, banging on his arm to let her go. He gripped on tighter and pulled her against him, chest to chest. Casey's breath caught in her throat as she watched him dip his head to lean on her shoulder. He whispered, "Don't go. I need you, Casey. That's the best way I can describe it. I _need_ you." He buried his face in her hair and she realized he was actually hugging her. But this was far from a feel-good family moment. This was a Derek she had never seen before, an urgent, scared, whimpering Derek. She wasn't sure she liked it.

So she surprised herself when her arms locked around his neck and she pressed her face into his shoulder, breathing him in. "I'm going to miss you, too, Derek." His despair suddenly made sense. They were moving in a little over a week. Derek had been counting on having a piece of home with him at Queen's. But if she left, he'd be truly alone in Kingston. She squeezed her eyes shut, hoping to stop the tears. He was home to her, too. Crazy and antagonistic as their relationship was, she did care about him. She _would_ miss him.

Derek's hand moved to the small of her back, pulling her closer. She lifted her head and moved her arms up to stroke the back of his head. He made a noise she couldn't identify and pushed back out of her hair to look into her eyes. "It's a bad idea, Casey. You won't be happy dancing professionally. You love it, but learning is your passion. Dancing is your outlet, your escape. I mean it, Case. Do drama club at Queen's, see if you still like it four years from now. You're good enough that you'd get offers pouring in at graduation."

She fought the urge to get angry again…because as much as it frustrated her that he presumed to know what she wanted, he was _right_. He always got inside her head in ways she didn't expect.

"You really do know me better than anyone, don't you." She smiled, and he grinned back. "I'm so happy to have a brother like you." She said it hoping he would play along, and he took the bait.

"_Step_ brother."

She arched her eyebrows, though she was still smiling. "Same difference."

They had said it many times that summer, and Casey knew that they both knew it wasn't the 'same difference' at all. She couldn't imagine being Derek's actual sister. Like it had so many times before when they exchanged those words, her heart sped up, and she didn't want to think about why. But she knew this time. When he said, "I need you," he didn't mean for help with homework. He meant they were Derek and Casey, somehow unable to escape each other, try as they might. But they had been trying to less and less over the past few years.

Suddenly Derek's nose was touching hers, and his eyes darted back and forth, trying to look in both of her eyes at once. "Derek…" she managed to get out. Her heart felt like it was exploding in her chest.

"Case…" he breathed, and ever so lightly brought his lips to hers. By the time Casey's brain caught up with her body they were already kissing, and she let go for a moment.

But just a moment. "Der-ek!" She pushed him off of her, effectively ruining any good feelings she had had in the last few minutes. She cringed at his dazed expression, knowing she'd hurt him but not really knowing how. She didn't _like_ him, he was _Derek_, for crying out loud. But she had _definitely_ wanted to kiss him. At least, she had ten seconds ago. But now, it seemed just as gross and unnerving as it would have to a stranger. They were _step_siblings.

_Oh_. It finally clicked. That's why they emphasized the 'step.' Not the same difference at all. He had wanted to kiss her as much as she had wanted to kiss him!

But Derek would kiss anything with a pulse. That had nothing to do with Casey specifically. She was just another one of his "hot brunette" girls. She decided that she needed to end this, once and for all. They had kissed, it was over with, and yet they would never be siblings. It was time to move on. "That never happened," she told him firmly. "I'm taking the job. Good luck with everything." She extended a hand to Derek, hating herself for being so cold to him. But it was necessary so that he would get the message. He stared at her for a few seconds, trying to figure out how to respond. She nodded, urging him to shake her hand. When he did, he used the split second of distraction to bring her against him again, crashing their bodies together and going in for another kiss.

When they came up for air, Casey couldn't think, couldn't feel, couldn't look at him. She couldn't do anything but run. So she did, back to her cabin. She threw herself on the bed and caught her breath, trying to process the thoughts swirling through her mind. Her world was spinning again, and this time she didn't like the feeling.


	3. George, Derek, & Jesse

**Chapter 3: George, Derek, and Jesse **

"So if I stay, it will be because of Derek," she finished. She had told George the whole story, leaving out the inappropriate parts, of course. But she _had_ described the hug, and Derek's plea of 'I need you.'

George didn't say anything for a long time. When he finally looked at her again, he sighed. "I promised myself…actually, your mother and I promised ourselves, that we wouldn't interfere, especially with the baby on the way. But it seems desperate times call for desperate measures."

Casey looked at him hopefully. Would he be able to solve all of her problems with what he was about to say?

"Derek's been in, well, I hesitate to call it love, because I don't know, but Derek has had feelings for you…for a very long time."

"What?" she gasped. After the way he had kissed her, it wasn't exactly a surprise, but still, it jarred her to hear it, from George of all people. So it _hadn't_ been just a kiss…it had _meant_ something. "That's impossible!"

George quirked an eyebrow at her, and even in the dark she could see the glint of humor in his eyes. "Is it?"

"This is funny to you? This is my life here, George!"

"Casey. Calm down." He shook his head at her. "This has been a long time coming, kiddo. Am I way off base to assume that you might have some romantic feelings for my son, too?" He was so businesslike, it would have been funny if Casey wasn't about to have a nervous breakdown.

Instead of trying to sort out a coherent answer, she decided she wanted to know more. "How do _you_ know how Derek feels?"

George made a face. "Seriously? You want a laundry list? Okay, here are a few things – he can't seem to keep his hands off you. He interferes with all of your relationships, Exhibit A being the fact that he pulled you away from Jesse tonight. He has done nothing but make sure you were safe and happy since the moment you met…"

"That's not true – you see the way he treats me!"

"Typical Grade One tug-on-your-pigtails playground mentality. He constantly craves your attention, and it just so happens that you give him negative attention more often than positive. He'll take what he can get."

"You're too observant for your own good," Casey huffed. Of course, she had noticed all of those things, too, but now they took on a whole different meaning. She knew he liked to upset her – but apparently he just liked to get a reaction, any reaction, from her. If only she had ignored him all these years!

She took that back. The last thing she wanted, strangely enough, was Derek out of her life. He was too important to her now. She had let it go too far.

"I think it's more than just him teasing me," Casey said, thinking aloud. "We actually _like _to fight. I think we both get some sort of rush from it…that's so weird."

"Your mother says that's unresolved sexual tension."

"George!" Casey's face turned scarlet. Not what she needed to hear right now!

"Sorry." He shrugged. "Unresolved _romantic_ tension, then."

"How can you be so relaxed about this?" she asked, finally starting to calm down.

"Well, I've had a lot of time to think about the idea of you two as a couple. And it makes sense."

Casey looked doubtful. "I don't know, George. I need to do some thinking of my own."

George nodded. "Good idea. But you shouldn't wait too long to talk to Derek. I have a feeling he's going to be in a foul mood tomorrow morning, and nobody wants to deal with that."

VWDVWDVWD

Sure enough, Derek barely said a word to anyone as he shoveled scrambled eggs into his mouth. Casey was the last one to arrive at the main lodge, and as soon as he saw her walk in, he began stuffing his face.

"Good morning, everyone," Casey said sweetly, trying to ignore Derek's loud chewing.

"Pass the salt, Ed," he mumbled as everyone else echoed 'Good morning.'

"Hi, Derek," Casey tried. She knew she needed to talk to him before they left, or it would be an even longer ride home than it already was. She had no idea what she would say to him besides an apology for running off. But that would be a start.

Derek ignored her. She saw George exchange a glance with her mom. He had obviously told her what they'd talked about the night before. That was just as well. It saved Casey having to go through the whole story again.

"What's the matter, Derek?" Gran asked, when no one spoke.

Edwin made a slashing motion across his neck and Gran raised her eyebrows. "Derek's in a bad mood – stay away," Edwin mouthed. Derek snorted next to him.

Through a mouthful of eggs, he told Gran, "I'm fine. What makes everyone think I'm in a bad mood?"

Seven pairs of eyes stared at him doubtfully.

"I'm not!" He swallowed and held up his hands. "I swear!"

"Good," Casey said, "Because I want to talk to you."

Derek ignored her again.

"Ah, so he's just not speaking to _Casey_," Lizzie observed.

"Usually it's Casey not speaking to _him_…wonder what they're fighting about," Edwin added.

"Stop talking about me like I'm not here!" Casey whined.

Gran's eyebrows furrowed. "Whatever it is, I hope you two resolve it soon. Can we please have a nice breakfast before you all have to leave?"

"Sorry, Gran," Casey, Lizzie, and Edwin replied sheepishly.

Marti went over to Derek and kissed his cheek. "Feel better now, Smerek?"

"Thanks, Smarti." He gave her a hug and she returned to her seat.

They finished their breakfast civilly, but Derek still refused to acknowledge Casey's existence.

VWDVWDVWD

Derek was the first to leave the lodge, and Casey followed him outside. Not surprisingly, he headed towards the nearest deck chair, flicked open his sunglasses, and placed them over his eyes as he sat down.

Casey reached him and stood hovering over him, blocking his sunlight on purpose. They could do this all day. They had long ago learned which buttons to push if they really wanted to get to each other.

"Go away," he barked, waving his hand in her general direction.

"Oh, so last night it was 'don't go,' but today it's 'go away'?" Casey quipped.

He didn't answer. She could tell she'd gotten to him, though, by the way his whole body strained against a response.

"Look, I'm really sorry for running off. But we shouldn't have done what we did. I panicked."

"Yeah, you're good at that," he muttered.

"You can't blame me. I mean, I know we joke around about the whole 'step' thing…but we're family, Derek."

"We may be family, but we're not related. You always like to remind people that there's no genetic link."

Casey was relieved that he was talking to her again. It meant he wasn't as angry anymore. But it was crazy to think they could ever be a couple. It may have sounded good at two o'clock last night, but it wasn't realistic. They had to go back to their friendly fighting and leave it at that.

"Just because two people aren't related by blood doesn't mean they should be…" She was going to say 'kissing,' but couldn't get the word out. "…doing what we did," she finished lamely.

Derek whipped off his sunglasses and turned to stare at her. His expression hardened. "Yeah. Guess you're right."

Casey hadn't expected that. "O-Okay. Good. Glad we're on the same page."

"Uh-huh." He put his sunglasses back on and settled against the chair, turning away from her.

"Don't be out here too long. We have to pack," she felt the need to remind him.

And she just knew he was rolling his eyes underneath his sunglasses when he replied, "Yes, Mom Junior."

VWDVWDVWD

As Casey headed back to the cabin, she ran into Jesse.

"Hey, how's my beautiful dancing partner?" he asked warmly, giving her a hug.

She sidestepped his attempt at a kiss. "I'm not sure. Can I get back to you on that?" she asked, wishing he hadn't stopped to talk. She wanted to be alone with her thoughts.

"What's wrong?"

Casey shrugged. "I'm trying to decide about the job offer."

Jesse looked surprised. "What is there to decide? Why wouldn't you take it?"

Casey couldn't help herself…she looked over towards the dock, and Jesse followed her gaze to Derek's chair.

"Ah, I _knew_ I had some competition."

"No, it's not like that—" Casey began, trying to downplay her emotions. But she knew her frustration was written all over her face.

"It doesn't matter," Jesse assured her, taking her hand. "If you don't want to be with me, I can deal with that. But I would love to spend a year dancing alongside you."

Casey smiled at him. He was so _nice_. "You're sweet. Unfortunately, I don't know what I want."

Jesse nodded. "I guess I understand. It's a big decision. I've been there. I know how tough the New York theatre scene is. But I think you could handle it."

Casey sighed. "You're so lucky. You know exactly what you want, and you keep going until you get it."

"So do you. Queen's, helping your family, Derek…you're no stranger to taking chances, yourself."

She looked at her feet. "So what do I do?"

"Take the job. Derek can come visit whenever he likes."

Casey's head snapped up. "This isn't about Derek!" She mentally chided herself for getting so defensive.

Jesse laughed. "You've got to stop kidding yourself. Do you realize how many times you've said his name since we've met? He's all you talk about! I almost wanted to make up a 'No Talking About Derek' rule."

Casey felt sick to her stomach as she remembered her 'No Derek Talk' rule with Max.

And suddenly she knew she had to take the job. Derek had been the center of her universe for too long. It was time to cut the cord.

"I have to go pack. Want to keep me company?" she asked, ignoring his previous statement.

Jesse smiled and followed her back to the cabin.


	4. Mrs Blue & Lizzie

**Chapter 4: Mrs. Blue and Lizzie**

Derek drove home with the rest of the family, and Lizzie stayed behind to ride with Casey. Lizzie would only reveal that Derek had requested she keep Casey company on the drive; he gave no reason for wanting to ride in the other car. So Casey wasn't sure how much everyone knew about their awkward situation. But Derek had basically given her permission to drive The Prince home – that in itself was huge. He was probably ready to move forward, and forget that their, uh, mistake, ever happened. At least, she hoped that was the case.

Casey had told Lizzie and the others about the job that morning, and they had taken the news a lot better than Derek had. Everyone said how much they would miss her. Unlike Derek, though, they were supportive.

She talked to her mother, and Gran again, and they both agreed she should take the opportunity, if that was what she really wanted. She was still so confused and angry about the whole Derek mess, but she knew it would be the right decision to accept the job. It would be easier to repair her relationship with Derek if they weren't living together.

Before leaving, Casey and Lizzie headed into the lodge to find Bernard Blue.

Mrs. Blue smiled when they approached her table. "Hello, girls. You were both wonderful last night."

"Thanks," they said, looking at each other proudly.

"My son has such good taste. I just knew when I saw you that he would offer you a job, Casey."

Casey thanked her again, and complimented her on her own performance.

Mrs. Blue was busy telling them her entire dancing history when Bernard finally joined them at the table.

"Ah, so nice to see you again, Casey! Have you made your decision?"

Casey bit her lip. She relaxed a little when Lizzie grabbed her hand, but it was still painful to tell him that no, she had not.

Lizzie gasped beside her, but didn't say anything.

Bernard gave Casey a sympathetic smile. "I understand how hard it must be for you. My mother told me you're supposed to go to university. But you have too much talent to waste. I can give you one week to decide, but after that we'll be starting rehearsals and I would need to replace you."

"One week," Casey echoed. "That's fair."

"Tell her that her boyfriend is welcome to go down to New York and visit her," Mrs. Blue commented, and Bernard looked over at his mother, confused.

"Her boyfriend is my other star. He's already home packing."

Casey paled as Mrs. Blue replied, "Not him, I mean that boy that was always causing trouble."

Lizzie giggled. "Derek?"

Mrs. Blue's eyes lit up in recognition. "Yes, Derek. He was delightful. But a handful for poor Felicia."

Bernard looked appalled. "Felicia is Derek _and_ Casey's grandmother. She said so last night."

Casey felt too upset to be amused. It wasn't the first time someone had mistaken them for a couple. But it would be the last. "Yes, that's right. Derek is my, um, brother, not my boyfriend."

Lizzie poked Casey in the side. "_Step_brother," she corrected, and Casey glared at her. She hadn't made the distinction on purpose this time, and Lizzie had ruined it.

"Oh." Mrs. Blue looked disappointed. "He was such a sweet boy," she murmured to herself.

Bernard shrugged. "Well, any of your family is welcome to visit you, of course. It's not like we keep our dancers locked up in cages when they're not performing."

Mrs. Blue was the only one who laughed. Casey managed a weak chuckle, and Lizzie was too busy watching Casey.

"Thanks, Mr. Blue. I'll be in touch," Casey said, and shook his hand. They said their goodbyes, and as they left the table, Casey heard Mrs. Blue saying that she could have sworn she saw Derek and Casey "rubbing up on each other" in a canoe.

As soon as they were out of earshot, Lizzie rounded on Casey. "What the heck was that?"

Casey didn't have the energy to play dumb. "Lots of people make that mistake. It's just because we're the same age."

Lizzie's eyes narrowed. "Not about that. You have never, not once, called Derek your _brother_. He's _not_ your brother."

"What do you know about it?"

Lizzie looked stung. Casey instantly regretted snapping at her. "Liz, I'm sorry."

"Whatever. I thought you were going to take the job."

Casey kicked a pebble with the tip of her shoe. "I'm not sure yet. I thought I was, but…" She had backed out at the last moment. She just couldn't say yes. Not until she resolved her issues with Derek.

"Derek, right? You don't want to leave him." Lizzie crossed her arms.

A lump formed in her throat and Casey fought to keep her composure. "It's gotten complicated, somehow."

Lizzie snickered. "With you two, it's _always_ been complicated."

"Tell me about it." Casey motioned towards the lodge offices. "Let's go say goodbye to Gran. We'd better get home."

VWDVWDVWD

When they arrived back in London, the entire family was gathered in the living room, acting like they were waiting for something. _Oh, right_, Casey realized. They wanted to know what she had told Bernard.

She wasn't sure what made her do it. Maybe it was the absolutely defeated look in Derek's eyes. Maybe it was the way her mother was clutching onto George's hand. But either way, she made her decision in a split second. "I told him yes."

The room erupted into congratulations and tears and hugging. Thankfully, Lizzie kept her mouth shut, but her gaze said, "You little liar!"

Casey tried her best to communicate to Lizzie that she really had made her decision, finally.

They heard a loud bang, and realized Derek had slammed the front door shut. A moment later, they heard the rev of The Prince's engine, and despite a voicemail from everyone, and several from Marti, Derek didn't come home that night.


	5. Derek & Emily

Better late than never - I wanted to get this posted sooner, but real life got in the way. This chapter is even more angsty – hang in there, there is a lot more to go before Casey finally comes to her senses!

Derek is giving me a very hard time – he doesn't like being so mopey and subdued. But I reminded him of how he acted in Happy New Schoolyear when Sally left, and he stopped complaining. Because with CASEY leaving, you know he's acting a hundred times worse.

**Chapter 5: Derek and Emily**

The next morning, Derek arrived home just as everyone else was sitting down to breakfast.

Marti dropped her spoon into her cereal bowl, splattering milk everywhere, and ran over to launch herself on Derek.

"Heyyy," he said warmly, hugging her to him like nothing was wrong.

"I didn't know where you were! You scared me," she reprimanded him sternly.

"Sorry, Smarti." Derek swung her around until she giggled, and then put her down. She skipped back towards her breakfast, anger forgotten.

George and Nora watched this exchange carefully. Casey could tell that they weren't sure what to do next.

"Where were you?" George finally demanded, after Derek hung up his jacket and kicked off his shoes, all without saying a word, or even glancing at the rest of the family.

Derek shrugged. "Driving around." He headed for the stairs.

George hurried over to block his path, clamping his hands down on Derek's shoulders. "Don't you _ever_ do that again, do you hear me? We were worried sick."

Derek shrugged again. "I won't." Then he pushed past his father and stomped up the stairs.

Nora put a hand over Casey's at the table. "Sweetie, would you go talk to him?" Her eyes were pleading, and Casey couldn't say no.

"I'll try," she sighed.

The rest of the family remained silent as Casey went upstairs. Only certain members knew the details, but it was obvious to everyone that the prospect of Casey leaving had completely destroyed Derek. Marti's lip quivered and she climbed onto George's lap as soon as he returned to the table.

"Poor Smerek. I'll miss Casey too, but he'll miss her a _super_ lot."

"I know, honey. We're going to miss both of them when they leave," Nora replied. Marti buried her head in George's shirt, and he rubbed her back absently as he exchanged a grimace with Nora.

Lizzie and Edwin busied themselves with eating their breakfasts. She had filled him in on the events of the day before, of course. And they weren't sure what Casey was going to do about the job, but no matter what, their family was changing a little too rapidly for their liking.

VWDVWDVWD

Upstairs, Casey walked into Derek's room without knocking. He was lying down with his arms under his head, staring at the ceiling.

She perched cross-legged on the edge of his bed. "Hey," she said softly.

Derek ignored her, but she could hear him swallow hard. Was he about to _cry_? She wouldn't be able to take it if he did, just like her tears freaked _him_ out.

But this was Derek. He didn't cry, just offered her halfhearted congratulations.

"Thanks. It's exciting. I have so much to do before I leave." _Like call Bernard and tell him I'm taking the job_, she thought.

Derek stayed quiet.

Casey nudged his leg with her foot. "Can we please get back to the way things used to be?"

Derek sighed. "Sure, Spacey. Let me jump in my time machine and go back to before our parents ever met."

"You don't really wish they'd never gotten married, do you?" She knew he was upset, but his detachment was upsetting her, too. She wanted to get past the awkwardness.

Derek sat up. "Nah. But I do wish we'd never become stepsiblings." He gazed evenly at her, and it was all she could do to keep from throwing her arms around him and never letting go.

"Can I ask you something?"

"You just did." He smirked at her.

Before, she would have smacked him playfully, but now she didn't trust herself to touch him.

"What would happen to us if I had turned down the job?" _If I _do_ turn down the job?_

"We'd go to Queen's and continue to hate each other."

"I don't hate you, you know that." She smiled. "Far from it."

"Well, that's unfortunate, because _I_ hate you."

"Stop being such a jerk," she scoffed. "We meant it when we said we would miss each other. I need you just as much as you need me." She grabbed his hand and turned it over in hers, trying to provoke him into doing something, anything. She wasn't about to beg, but she could try to give him a hint that it wasn't too late for them to fix things.

"You're already going. You didn't want to stay. So it's over, Case." He used his free hand to skim his fingers up and down her calf while she held his other hand with both of hers. His face was calm, with no trace of distress.

She couldn't help it; tears began trickling down her cheeks. "It hasn't started, so how can it be over?" She looked at him hopefully. They were dancing around the real issue, but hopefully he knew exactly what she meant. She needed to know if he honestly thought they had a future together as a couple. She wasn't sure herself if that could be possible, but she had to try. She needed to know her options.

He shook his head. "What I want doesn't matter. This is about what _you_ want."

She felt so frustrated. This wasn't how it was supposed to end, holding his hand and crying. She considered telling him that she had yet to contact Bernard, that there was still hope for them. But he had stopped trying to get her to stay…so that meant he was ready to move on from whatever feelings he had for her. She could never ask him to admit it if he did have feelings for her, anyway. He had too much pride, and they were both too stubborn. Maybe it really was too late.

No. She pulled her hands away from his. They still had time. She had six days left before she had to decide.

Getting emotional was not going to do any good. She needed some time to think, to be away from him, to clear her head.

"Thank you for everything you've ever done for me," she said quietly, getting off of his bed and laying a hand on the side of his face. "I…" she wanted to tell him she loved him so badly. Not even that she was _in_ love with him. Just that she loved him for being who he was. But she couldn't do it. So she kissed him instead, a soft peck that he barely had time to acknowledge before she pulled away. Then she left his room and retreated to her own so she could start packing. Whether for university or New York, she didn't know, but either way she had to do it.

VWDVWDVWD

That night was Emily's going-away party. Their group of friends was heading off in different directions, and since Emily had the pool, she decided to celebrate everyone's impending separation together.

As Casey and Derek entered her backyard, walking far apart and not speaking, Emily screamed and ran to throw her arms around Casey.

"I know I wasn't supposed to find out until you told me, but your mom told my mom, and—"

Casey stopped listening as she returned the hug. She hadn't even been planning to tell Emily about the job if she decided not to take it. She searched for Derek, hoping to gauge his reaction to Emily's lively acceptance of the news, but he was already on the other side of the lawn, talking to Ralph and Amanda.

Emily was still babbling congratulations, and Casey did her best to keep a smile on her face and appear grateful for the praise.

"You must be so excited!" Emily finally stopped talking, and Casey nodded.

"It's going to be great. Dancing, Broadway, New York, all of it…and especially no Derek!" she added for good measure, hoping to convince herself as much as Emily.

Emily cocked her head, but quickly recovered from whatever she had been about to say. "Uh, yeah." She giggled. "No Derek is definitely a plus."

Casey nodded again, but something in Emily's eyes told her that she wasn't being sincere. Instead of getting into a discussion about it, though, and risk bringing up her Derek problems, Casey decided she deserved a drama-free night to say goodbye to her friends.

"So, I can't believe we won't be going to school together this year. I'm going to miss you soooo much," Casey said, effectively distracting Emily, who began crying.

"I knooow."

Casey teared up, too, and soon they were a hugging, sobbing mess.

Until someone decided to break up their lovefest by dousing them with a bucketful of water balloons.

"Hey!" Casey cried, looking up to glare at their attacker, half hoping it was Derek, back to his normal annoying self. But no, it was Sam and Kendra.

"Sorry," Sam said, not looking sorry at all. "But if you two start, all the girls will start, and this is a party!" He grinned.

Kendra agreed, picking a piece of balloon out of Emily's hair. "Come on, swim first, cry later."

Casey and Emily each had the same idea for revenge as they bent to scoop unbroken balloons off the ground around them, quickly firing back on Sam and Kendra. Tinker and Noel came over to see what was going on, and soon the Davis backyard became a water balloon war zone.

VWDVWDVWD

Emily was leaving in the morning, and Ralph was leaving the day after that. Sam would be going to Queen's with Derek, and hopefully move into the on-campus apartment that Derek would have shared with Casey. The party had been fun, but Casey didn't want to leave. It meant her high school life really was over. She might not see any of them again for a _year_.

"That was tough, saying goodbye," Casey commented as she walked home with Derek.

"Mm," Derek acknowledged, but he didn't offer her any more than that.

"Are you okay?" she couldn't help asking.

"I'm fine," he barked, glaring at her.

She glared back. "I'm allowed to talk to you, you know. We don't have to say goodbye just yet." _Or ever, if I decide not to go_, she amended.

"You made yourself pretty clear this afternoon, Case," he grumbled. "Now we're just two people who have to live together until you move away."

"Argh! You are so frustrating!" she stomped away from him. She wasn't sure what had just happened. She had kissed him again this afternoon, and she had thanked him...she thought she'd made it clear that she hoped for something more between them. Guess he just didn't want the same thing she did. After all, here was the perfect opportunity to try to talk her out of leaving again, and he didn't take it.

Derek was done with her. Now it was her turn to try to be done with him.


	6. Derek, OUR, & Lizzie

I may be stretching reality a little bit when it comes to what happens with the registrar's office, but I didn't think Queen's would appreciate me calling them up and asking how deferment works just for a fanfic. So I looked on the website, and everything I use in this chapter is from there.

**Chapter 6: Derek, OUR, and Lizzie**

Derek slapped a piece of paper down on Casey's desk. "Here."

He began to walk away, but she called him back. "What is it?"

"You can read, can't you?" Derek snarked.

Casey rolled her eyes and reached for the paper. They had been on speaking terms for the past two days, but their relationship had returned to the strained indifference of their first year together. Their teasing had changed from playful to harsh, maybe even harsher than it had ever been before. She was glad, in a way. It made things less awkward between them.

By the time she finished reading the paper, Derek had left her room. He had applied for deferment for her, filled out all the paperwork. All she had to do was sign it and fax it over to Queen's.

That was it, then. He was telling her once and for all that he didn't want to be with her. He wanted her gone. She stared at the door. It hurt, but it was for the best. She had four days left to call Bernard. There was no reason to put it off any longer.

"Hi, Mr. Blue? This is Casey McDonald. I'll take the job."

VWDVWDVWD

She was on the 4:45 flight to New York. Saying goodbye to her family was surreal. She had been slowly preparing herself for the task all summer, but she had been expecting to drive off with Derek in The Prince, not hug them at the check-in desk at London International.

Queen's had sent her an email expressing their disappointment that she would not be joining their fall freshman class. Her admission was secure, but she would lose her scholarship and her financial deposit with the year of deferment. She would have to make a _lot_ of money in New York in order to even think about returning to Queen's without a scholarship. Thankfully, her mom and George had been understanding.

Though she knew it was mostly because of Derek's attitude, she couldn't shake the nagging feeling that she had made the wrong decision. But she figured that had she turned down the job, she would have felt the same way. It was just fear of the unknown. Derek had diagnosed her himself back in the spring – she had Futuritis again.

Her father was excited to hear that she would be moving to New York. She would be living with him, since she would only be there a year, and living in the city was expensive.

Derek had spent the last few days staring out windows and barking orders at Edwin. She had asked him to join the family at the airport to see her off, but he declined. That hurt her almost as much as anything else that had happened. But he hadn't gone to the airport with Sally when she'd gone to Vancouver, either. He just didn't do goodbyes very well.

It was 8:19 the morning of her flight. The registrar's office opened at 8:30. Casey chewed nervously on her bottom lip as she waited. It was stupid and impulsive, she knew, but she had to be sure that once she left, there would be no chance of changing her mind.

When it was time, she dialed the number with shaking fingers.

"Office of the University Registrar, how may I help you?"

"My name is Casey McDonald. I have a question about deferment."

She could hear the clacking of a keyboard on the other end of the line. "M-A-C or M-C?"

"M-C."

"I see you have been accepted as a deferred student for this academic year."

"Yes. I was wondering…is it too late to change my mind?"

"You'd like to re-enroll?"

Casey gulped. "Possibly."

The secretary, or whoever was on the line, chuckled. "Miss McDonald, classes start very soon. You're cutting it close."

"So there's still time?" Casey brightened immediately. Up until this morning, she had been excited about the job. But now that her departure time was swiftly approaching, she was having gut-wrenching doubts.

"Today is the deadline, actually. Tomorrow we'll be giving your spot to someone on the waiting list."

She couldn't believe her luck. "I'll call you back if I decide I want to withdraw my deferment."

"You have until 4:30. Do you mind my asking why you wanted to defer?"

"I'm going to New York to be a dancer." It sounded as crazy as it ever did just then.

"That's lovely. If I don't speak to you again, best of luck to you."

"Thank you." She hung up with the registrar's office and flopped down onto her bed.

Her phone buzzed with a text message alert. Jesse had sent her a smiley face and wrote, "Can't wait to see you!"

She smiled. She _was_ excited about seeing him again. He had already begun rehearsals, and the few times she had spoken with him, he seemed beyond thrilled. He described the strenuous practices, and Casey's first thought was that it seemed like hard work.

Of _course_ it was hard work. It was a _job_. Derek was wrong. Dancing was her escape, but it also made her incredibly happy. Why shouldn't your job make you happy?

She tried to ignore the voice in her head telling her that going to Queen's with Derek could make her incredibly happy too. But even if she did go to Queen's, she wouldn't be _with_ Derek. So what was the difference?

Her carry-on bag was sitting on her bed. She placed her phone back inside, making room for it next to her textbooks.

She couldn't help it. She was bringing her textbooks to New York. After all, she didn't want to forget everything she'd learned over the summer. She thought about what Derek had said about learning being her passion. She could learn in New York, too. Maybe even take an online course or two.

Who was she kidding? She wouldn't have time for that. She was contracted for eight shows a week. After doing that for a year, would she even _want_ to go back to school? It would be good for her to get time away from her studies…but on the other hand, a year was a long time to be away from the classroom. How long would it take her to get back into the school routine? Something she told Derek during his Sally-going-to-Vancouver crisis came back to haunt her. "You can't drop out of school, Derek. Even you're not stupid enough to do that." How ironic that Derek would be going to Queen's, and Casey'd be the dropout. There was a difference between dropping out and deferring, of course. But next year, she would be a year older than most of the freshman class. Maybe she wouldn't fit in with them because she'd been out of high school for so long.

Casey wrestled with these issues all morning. It wasn't fun. And Derek's words clouded all of her thoughts. "Don't go." That had been his gut reaction, and despite his rejection of her a few days ago, he had meant all of the things he said at the lodge, she was sure of it.

But how scary was the thought that they _needed_ each other? Was that the sign of a wildly unhealthy codependent relationship? Or was that just the simple truth of two people in love?

Casey needed to get out of her head. She called Jesse and talked to him for a little while. He was so excited to show her the ropes, go sightseeing in New York with her, and of course, dance. Just hearing all of that helped her decide that she had made the right choice.

VWDVWDVWD

She stared out the car window on the way to the airport, feeling a fresh wave of grief at the fact that Derek wasn't sitting next to her. They had said goodbye at the house with a quick hug and a look that lasted a little too long, until George coughed, breaking the spell. She kissed his cheek and turned around without looking back.

At the check-in counter, everyone gathered to say goodbye one last time. Casey sobbed her way through the security checkpoint. She found her terminal quickly enough and sat down to wait. It was 4:06.

She pulled a textbook out of her carry-on and flipped to a random page. As she absently turned the pages, something fluttered to the floor. She picked up the folded piece of paper and opened it. For a moment she thought, and almost hoped, that it was a note from Derek.

It was a note, but it wasn't from Derek. It was written in Lizzie's tight, neat script.

_Dear Casey,_

_I thought you would like to have a little piece of home with you on the plane. I bet you're soaring over the border right now. I know we said goodbye at the airport, but I wanted to say it one more time in this letter. It'll be fun being the big sister for a change, but I'm going to miss you so much. New York is so much farther away than Kingston. I thought you'd be able to come home sometimes on weekends, fighting with Derek in the car the whole way. But instead you'll be dancing in sold out shows. You'll get famous, and the paparazzi will come knocking on our door wondering about your life story. __I wonder what they'll write about you and Derek.__ Sorry. I don't know why I wrote that. Anyway, that's not the point. The point is that this is really goodbye. I'm sure we'll come see you perform, but this will be the longest we've been apart, and I'm really sad. It's going to be so weird that Mom will have the baby, and you won't be here. I'm going to be starting high school, and you won't be around to ask for advice. But I know we'll see each other. Maybe I can convince Mom to let me stay with you and Dad for the whole winter break. _

_I just wanted to say one more time, I love you and I'll miss you. _

_Lizard _

Casey was bawling by the time she finished reading; her eyes were so clouded with tears that she could barely see the last few lines.

She would miss her new brother or sister's birth. She hadn't even thought about that. The idea that she wouldn't meet her new sibling right away made her stomach clench. All that talk about the McDonalds and the Venturis becoming one family, and she had abandoned them to chase a dream she hadn't even considered until a week ago. She took a deep breath and reread the letter, trying to analyze Lizzie's vibe. Was she asking her to come home in a roundabout way? Casey wasn't sure. But she did know that she wanted to change diapers, babysit, and be there for all of her baby brother or sister's firsts. Of course, she wouldn't be home to do that anyway, she'd be at Queen's. But when her mom went into labor, she'd have a much better chance of making it home in time from Kingston than from New York City.

But was she really about to throw away her career for the unlikely chance to be present at her sibling's birth?

That was crazy. But when she thought about it, it was just as crazy as running off to New York for a year to dance. Derek had told her back in the spring that going to Western would be the cowardly choice, that she shouldn't stick around for the family. And he was right. But there was a big difference between going away to school and taking a job in another country.

It was 4:23. Her plane had begun boarding.

She fished her cell phone out of her bag and dialed the registrar's number.


	7. Dennis & Lizzie

**Chapter 7: Dennis and Lizzie **

She flew to New York. It wasn't right to waste the ticket money. And her luggage was already on the plane.

Her dad beamed at her as she stepped into view, dragging her suitcase behind her.

"So happy to see you!" he cried as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Hi, Dad. Listen, I can only stay the night. I have to fly home tomorrow."

Her father's face fell. "What are you talking about?"

"I've decided to keep my scholarship and go to Queen's."

"Is this about money? Casey, you're going to be earning plenty of money this year, and you know I'll pay for whatever you need."

"This isn't about money. I just…need to go home. This was a nice idea in theory, but I can't do it."

He caught her by the shoulders and looked at her curiously. "I know you're nervous, Sweetheart, but—"

She shook her head. "This has nothing to do with nerves. I want to go to university. I know where I belong, and it's at Queen's." She almost added "with Derek," but thought better of it. This wasn't about him, for once. She wondered briefly how he would take the news of her return.

Her father scratched his chin. "Good for you. I trust your judgment."

She raised her eyebrows. "Really? That's it? You're not going to try to convince me to stay?"

"You know I would love to have you living with me, and you'd make a wonderful actress, but you sound like your mind is made up. You've always been a level-headed girl. I trust you."

Casey breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks, Dad. I know I've made a mess, but I'm going to fix it."

He nodded. "I know you will. I'll buy your return ticket, you call Mr. Blue, and then we'll go get some dinner."

"You don't have to do that; I can pay for my ticket."

"Yeah, right. You're a university student now, remember? You need to save up for books and pencils." He winked.

Casey thanked him, and took out her cell phone. This was going to be a difficult call. She could only hope that Mr. Blue would be understanding.

VWDVWDVWD

He wasn't. But he couldn't do anything about it, because Casey hadn't signed the contract yet. He _had _told her she had a week to decide, and she was only a day past that deadline.

She knew it was unfair to leave him high and dry right before rehearsals, but he wouldn't have a problem replacing her. There were dozens of unemployed performers in New York.

Her dad took her out on the town, and the next morning, they had breakfast together before her flight. It had been nice to see him, and she could tell he was sad that she wouldn't be staying, but he did a good job of seeming upbeat.

She took a taxi home from the airport, and to her delight, the entire family was seated around the dinner table when she walked through the door.

Everyone turned to stare at her as she calmly set down her bags and took her place at the table, unable to keep the grin off of her face.

"I miss her so much I'm seeing her everywhere," Nora moaned. "Look, I can almost see her in her old seat."

"I see her, too," Marti piped up.

Edwin and Lizzie burst out laughing. "Welcome back, Case," Lizzie said through her giggles.

Casey glared at her. "You _were_ trying to make me come home with that letter!" But then she quickly smiled, running over to hug her sister.

"You're really here?" Nora asked, smile spreading across her face. "I honestly thought I was hallucinating!"

Casey hugged her mother, and then everyone else in turn. Except Derek. He sat stone-faced, staring at his plate, and when she tried to put her arms around him from behind, he flinched. So she moved on to Edwin.

Of course, everyone wanted to know what had happened. Casey explained that she had called Queen's, they had agreed to re-admit her, and that she just didn't feel she had made the right choice by leaving. She explained about reading Lizzie's letter at the airport and her phone call to Mr. Blue. Her mother kissed her all over her face and kept her arm around her throughout dinner.

Casey had to admit, it felt nice. She was content. Home.

If only Derek would look at her, things would be perfect.

Casey volunteered to do the dishes, asking Lizzie to help her. Her mother kissed her one more time, and then left the girls alone in the kitchen.

They washed and dried in silence, sneaking smiles at each other every few seconds.

"Was it really because of my letter?" Lizzie finally asked.

"That was part of it. I know how important it is for all of us to feel like a real family, and I don't want to miss meeting our brother or sister along with everyone else. But I also don't want to give up Queen's, even just for a year. I'd miss out on too much."

"You took your textbooks on the plane," Lizzie giggled. "That's dedication."

Casey smiled. "I also wasn't sure I wanted to dance eight shows a week. That was a huge commitment to something I'd only done twice a week up until this summer."

Lizzie cocked her head and bit her lip. It was an expression Casey used often, and she felt a wave of emotion at how much she would have missed talking to her sister every day. They would have had opposite schedules – Lizzie at school in the morning and Casey dancing at night.

"Case, I don't think you should stop dancing. I was surprised when you gave it up this summer."

Casey nodded. "I thought about that, and I've decided to try out for the dance team at Queen's. I did extracurriculars in high school, and there's no reason why I can't do them at university."

"I think that makes perfect sense." Lizzie paused. "How about the elephant in the room?"

Casey pretended to look around. "What elephant?" she asked teasingly.

"You know what elephant. Dark hair. Brown eyes. Answers to the name 'Der-ek!'" Lizzie mimicked Casey's inflection perfectly.

Casey looked at the floor and shuffled her feet, trying to put her feelings into words that would make sense. "I think that's over. I'll always care about him, but I have to start thinking of him as my brother."

Lizzie frowned. "Do you want to know what he did when you left?"

"I don't know. Do I?"

"He didn't come out of his room for twenty-six straight hours. Ed and I timed him."

Casey bit her lip. "That doesn't mean anything."

"He didn't _eat_ for that long. That might be a record for Derek."

Casey refused to get her hopes up. She and Derek were somehow going to move forward, get over each other. "So, he missed me. I missed him. But now we're going to Queen's together."

"I think you should go _together_ together," Lizzie said playfully, nudging Casey.

"Liz!" Casey groaned. "How do you even know about that, anyway?"

Lizzie shrugged. "It's kinda obvious that you, you know, _like_ each other. Everyone knows."

Casey paled. "I know that George and Mom know…"

"Yeah, well, count Edwin, Marti, Sam, and probably Emily on that list, too."

"How did this happen?" Casey groaned. _Seriously, how did it happen?_ How did she go from perfectly happy a week ago to confused and sad tonight?

"You fell in love. Mom thinks it was inevitable, the way you guys always fight. You have unresolved—"

Casey held up a finger. "Do _not _say what I think you're about to say." She gazed at her sister. "You've really grown up a lot, haven't you?"

Lizzie shrugged. "I guess."

They continued to wash the dishes and when they were all finished, Casey leaned back against the island counter with a sigh. "I need to go talk to him, don't I?" This thing between them wasn't going to just go away, no matter how much they wanted it to.

"I think so, yeah," Lizzie agreed. She put a hand on Casey's shoulder for a moment before walking away, calling for Edwin. _She's probably going to tell Ed everything that just happened_, Casey realized. Come to think of it, those two had always done a lot of whispering that stopped when Casey walked by. Was she the _only_ one who hadn't understood her feelings for Derek for so long?

She headed upstairs to find Derek.


	8. Derek, Sam, & Marti

Last chapter! After this, there'll be an epilogue, but that's it. Thanks so much for sticking with this story! Enjoy the happy fluffy Daseyness that follows.

**Chapter 8: Derek, Sam, and Marti**

She found him at his desk, obviously trying to look busy as he flicked through his mp3 player. His computers and wall posters were already packed, so distractions in his room were minimal.

She gave him a questioning look but he merely followed her with his eyes as she sat on the edge of his bed. After a few moments, he shut the door and settled next to her.

"Aren't you going to say something?" she asked finally, unable to take the silence.

Derek shrugged. "I don't want to get my hopes up. I feel like you'll be gone again in the morning."

Casey sighed. "No, I won't. I'm going to Queen's with you in a couple of days. Yesterday was the last day to re-enroll, and I told you I called from the airport."

He brightened. "Really?"

"Yes. But I want to make something clear. I'm not staying for you."

The corners of Derek's mouth twitched upwards slightly but he gave no other reaction.

"I've done a lot of thinking this past week. Too much thinking. The decision should have been easy. If I had really wanted to go to New York, I wouldn't have had so many second thoughts."

"You had plenty of second thoughts about going to Queen's the _first_ time," Derek scoffed.

"I know. But this wasn't about fear. I kept telling myself it was, but then I realized I wasn't scared. I was giving up too much by going to New York. Going to Queen's, I'm only giving up living at home. But if I had taken the job, I was giving up my education, my family, you…"

Derek's eyes widened. "What are you trying to say?"

"I don't want to dance professionally, at least not yet. I want to go to Queen's with you and be a normal student. I looked it up, and Queen's has a dance team." She smiled at him. "I had to go with what felt right for me. And this feels right."

Derek nodded. "I'm glad you figured everything out—"

"Which brings me to us," she interrupted, suddenly terrified because this moment was about to define the rest of her life. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Derek looked confused. "I _did _tell you to stay."

"No, not that. Why didn't you tell me how you felt about me?"

"You didn't say anything either!" he smirked.

Casey rolled her eyes. "After all this, you're still not going to admit how much you care about me?"

Derek smiled. "No." He began tickling her until she screeched for him to stop. Breathless, their eyes locked, and she knew what was coming.

When they broke apart, they were lying side by side on Derek's bed, smiling goofily at each other.

"Are you sure this is what you want?" he asked, suddenly serious.

Casey gave him an exasperated smile. "You know me better than anyone. Would I be here if I didn't? For some strange reason, we need each other. I don't want to be without you. I need you too much. With you, I'm home."

"I know exactly what you mean," Derek murmured as he kissed her again softly. It wasn't quite an 'I love you,' but she could tell he felt it too. They would get there eventually. For now, she was filled with overwhelming relief that they were finally exactly where they were supposed to be.

VWDVWDVWD

After an hour or so, Casey pulled away from Derek. "We have to go tell everyone," she said reluctantly.

"Tell everyone what?" he mumbled, shifting on top of her again and reattaching his lips to her neck.

"I'm serious." She pushed him off and sat up, ignoring his wounded-puppy expression. She didn't want this night to end, either, but they were leaving for Kingston the day after tomorrow. She wanted to spend the next day with the family. "Lizzie knew I was coming upstairs to talk to you. I'm sure she's told everyone by now, and they're wondering what we're doing up here," she explained.

Derek raised an eyebrow at her and laughed.

She smacked him with his pillow. "You know what I mean! We need to at least go tell them we're together."

He sighed. "Okay. We should probably call Sammy, too, and let him know he's homeless."

"That's right, I forgot about Sam! Did you already tell him he could move in with you?"

"Yeah…" Derek grabbed the phone off of his desk and then settled against the pillows with Casey. "Ready to give him the surprise of his life?"

Casey wrinkled her nose. "According to Lizzie, Sam already knows about us."

"She's right. But he definitely doesn't know you're here."

Casey brightened. "Let me dial."

Sam answered on the first ring. "Jeez, Derek, you need to get out of your room. I know you miss her, but I can't take another night of you whining at me."

Derek blushed and Casey stifled a giggle. So that's what he'd been doing in his room for twenty-six hours. Poor Sam. "Actually, this is Casey."

"Case? What are you doing home?"

She grinned at Derek. "If you must know, I'm currently sitting in your best friend's lap."

"What?" Sam sounded like he was choking on something.

"Sam?" Casey and Derek said together.

He recovered enough to rasp, "D, what the hell did you do? Kidnap her?"

"She came home, dude. It had nothing to do with me."

Sam snorted. "Sure."

"Hey!" Casey huffed. "I'm going to Queen's, Sam. I'll explain everything better when I see you, but for now, we just wanted to ask if you'd mind if I moved into the apartment too."

Derek cut off whatever Sam was about to say. "What she means is, can you go live in the dorms?"

"Der-ek!" Casey whined.

"Guys!" They could tell Sam was smiling through his reprimand. "I was going to deal with housing stuff when we got there. So yeah, I still have my dorm assignment, and I'd be happy to give up the apartment. I wouldn't want to live with the two of you, anyway. Just Derek would have been bad enough."

"Thanks. I think." Casey laughed.

"I'm going to let that one go because I'm too happy to be angry," Derek concluded.

"Hm, this relationship is a win for everyone," Sam quipped. "Seriously, you guys, congratulations. I'll see you in a couple days."

"Thanks, Sammy," Derek replied sincerely, and Casey echoed him.

They said goodbye and hung up.

"Well, that was relatively painless," Casey joked. "Are you ready for round two?"

Derek groaned. "Let's get it over with."

VWDVWDVWD

The rest of the family was gathered around the TV. Derek grabbed Casey's hand as they headed down the stairs.

When they were at the landing, Derek cleared his throat loudly. Everyone turned around and watched them approach. Someone thought to turn off the TV.

"So…" George gestured to their intertwined hands.

Casey wasn't sure why she suddenly felt shy. It wasn't even like she was introducing a new boyfriend. Everyone already loved Derek. But there was something about their hopeful faces that made her self-conscious.

Derek sensed her discomfort and spoke up, "So…we're gonna try this whole couple thing and see what happens."

"You're finally together?" Edwin beamed at Derek, then Lizzie. "No more drama?"

"No," Derek said firmly, squeezing Casey's hand. Casey nodded.

"Oh, that's wonderful!" Nora beckoned them closer. "I'd get up, but it'd take an hour. Come here, you two."

They endured a family group hug, but when Derek tried to hug onto Marti, she shied away. Casey was relieved she wasn't the only one who felt awkward.

"You're happy for us, right, Smarti?" Derek asked, starting to look worried. It was Casey's turn to squeeze his hand.

Marti eyed them warily. "This is for real? You're really going to Queen's, together, dating?"

"Yeah, Smarti." Derek held out a hand for her, but she folded her arms.

"Prove it."

"What?"

"Prove that you're really dating. That Casey's really going with you, and you're not going to fight or be sad anymore."

"Um…" Derek looked at Casey, perplexed by Marti's attitude. Casey shrugged. Guess their problems in the last week, and really, the last three years, had affected everyone.

"Kiss her, Smerek."

"Martiii," George chuckled.

"That's a good idea," Lizzie grinned. She, Edwin, and Marti took up a chant of "Kiss her! Kiss her!" while their parents tried and failed to look annoyed.

"Oh my god," Casey whispered, staring at Derek. "This is so embarrassing!"

"Kiss her! Kiss her!"

"Okay, kids, that's enough."

Casey couldn't tell if that was George or her mother over the kids' noise, but she didn't have time to wonder as Derek dipped her. "No tongue in front of the kids," he warned, as if restraint would be a problem for her. Casey flicked his ear and tilted her head up, taking control and kissing him before he could comment further.

She heard the cheering stop abruptly, and apparently Derek did too, because he ended the kiss. He pulled her upright and they stared anxiously around.

Lizzie, Edwin, and Marti looked decidedly grossed out, and Nora and George were amused by the kids' reaction.

"Never do that again," Edwin shuttered, probably scarred for life.

"Yeah, ew." Lizzie made a face. "I didn't think you were actually going to kiss like _that_."

Marti's expression turned thoughtful. "I believe you now. You better be a good boyfriend, Smerek."

"If he's not, you can keep him in line," Casey smiled, scooping her up and planting a kiss on her cheek. Derek hugged her from the other side and both of them blew raspberries into Marti's cheeks as she shrieked with laughter.


	9. Gran

More seriously fluffy goop ahead, just a warning (or a promise, if you like that stuff!). I figure D and C have earned it after what I've put them through in this fic!

Thanks again to all of my reviewers! It's always a pleasure to "talk" to you. Enjoy!

**Gran**

One year later, the McDonald-Venturi family gathered at the Great Blue Heron Lodge to visit Gran for a week. Their newest member Simon was only eight months old, but he was already spoiled beyond belief.

They passed him around their lineup as the photographer readied the shot. It was their first official family portrait since Simon was born, and there had been plenty of discussion about who should stand where. Lizzie and Edwin were determined to stand next to each other, and of course Derek wanted to stand next to Casey with his arm around her, but she thought that would ruin the "family" vibe of the picture. So Gran had the idea to stand between them. As the photographer snapped shot after shot, Derek's hand found Casey's behind Gran's back. For the last shot, Gran stepped to her right and Derek got his arm around Casey just in time for the flash to go off.

"Der-ek!" Casey pushed him, but didn't remove his arm from around her. He still annoyed her to no end, but their teasing had become more playful than ever before. "Gran, I can't believe he convinced you to do that."

"What Derek wants, Derek gets," Gran winked as she handed Simon to Nora.

Everyone groaned good-naturedly.

"I want a copy of the last one," Casey whispered to Derek as the others headed towards the cars.

"Ha! I knew it," Derek said, pulling her closer and pressing a kiss to the side of her head. "And we thought sharing a sibling would be weird."

"We finally are one big family because of Simon," she agreed. "I can't believe I almost gave up this feeling. I would have missed everyone so much." She wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his chest. "Jesse's done his run on the show this week, and I would have been, too."

"Any regrets?" Derek asked, playing with her hair. She knocked his hand away but that didn't deter him.

"Of course not. I can honestly say I had a great freshman year."

"In no small part thanks to me," Derek said, nudging her with his nose.

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say, D." But she couldn't keep a straight face and they ended up laughing in between kisses.

"Let's go, you lovebirds," George said, tapping Derek on the back. He motioned to the cars, which were waiting, luggage already loaded into the trunks.

They reluctantly pulled apart and headed away from the lodge. Gran was kissing each of the kids in turn, and when they reached her, she enveloped them both in bear hug. "Thank you for being so well-behaved this year, Sweetie," she teased Derek.

"Anything for you, Gran," Derek said, ducking his head.

"Ooh, you're blushing," Casey taunted, poking at his cheeks.

"I am not!" Derek grabbed her fingers and kissed them.

"I don't think you've gone more than a few seconds without touching this week," Gran remarked.

Edwin snorted. "This week? Try this year! They don't even realize they're doing it!"

"Doing what?" Derek asked innocently, smooshing himself against Casey, who made a face.

"Sorry, Gran." Casey un-smooshed herself…slightly.

Gran smiled. "Don't be sorry. I think it's romantic."

"Gag me." Edwin mimed throwing up at Lizzie, who giggled.

George honked the horn of the other car, where he and the others were already in their seats, ready to leave.

"We'd better get going," Casey agreed, and she kissed Gran goodbye…while holding Derek's hand. "Thanks for another wonderful vacation!"

"My pleasure," Gran replied, and waved as Derek and Casey followed Edwin and Lizzie into The Prince.

And then the McDonald-Venturi family drove off towards home.


End file.
